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Timeline

Dunstan of Canterbury

Dan Graves, MSL

As Dunstan left court, several men jumped him and beat him severely.
Then they tied him up and threw him into filthy pit. It was all because
of jealousy.

Dunstan, a noble-born lad, had been trained at the school of
Glastonbury with its fine library. Afterwards, when he was summoned to
take his place in the Anglo-Saxon court, he won so much influence over
king Athelstan that the other courtiers hated him. They accused Dunstan
of studying paganism and magic and convinced Athelstan to send Dunstan
away.

Somehow Dunstan managed to free himself from the deadly hole his
enemies dumped him in. He escaped to the home of a friend. One of
Dunstan's uncles, a bishop, urged the young man to become a monk. But
Dunstan, who had his eyes on a girl, felt he couldn't lead the single
life. However, he broke out with hideous sores that he thought were
leprosy (probably infection from the sewage he had wallowed in when
thrown into the pit). Marriage was out of the question. He decided to
enter the church after all.

In his new status, he lived at first as a hermit near Glastonbury.
There he played the harp, made crafts and refined the process of casting
church bells. Throughout his entire life, he showed himself clever at
all manual skills. At least one illuminated manuscript that he created
survives. He also spoke or read not only his own Anglo-Saxon tongue, but
also Latin, Hebrew and Greek.

While still a hermit, Dunstan became an advisor to Ethelfled, the
king's neice. When she died, she left all her money to his care. About
the same time his father died. Dunstan now had two fortunes to manage.
His influence multiplied. He set out to restore the monasteries
destroyed in the Viking raids of the previous century.

In the following years, Dunstan advised England's kings. But when he
took the young and headstrong king Edwig to task for improper behavior,
Edwig confiscated all his money and Dunstan had to flee, probably to
Flanders (Belgium), to save himself and his friends. Edwig soon made
enemies of his own people, who threw him out of North England. With
England under new leadership, Dunstan went back.

Dunstan became Archbishop of Canterbury. There he pursued a
far-sighted policy of converting the Danes, who had conquered much of
England, and drawing them into the life of the English church and
nation. During the reign of King Edward, rebels tried to crush
monasticism. Peace talks were held. During one negotiation, the second
floor of the hall collapsed. Dunstan's chair was over a beam and this
saved his life. He was the only one who did not plunge to the floor
below. Several people died. Enemies said he rigged the collapse.

Some time later, allegedly forseeing his own death in a vision,
Dunstan announced it to his congregation. He preached sermons the day
before he died, which was on this day, May 19,
988. His last words were, "He hath made a remembrance of his
wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He hath given food
to them that fear Him."

Bibliography:

Dickens, Charles. A Child's History of England. [sums up
the anti-Dunstan position pretty viciously]